Apps for US Troops Found to Contain Chinese and Russian Code

Hundreds of mobile applications designed for U.S. troops have been found to contain software code developed by companies based in China, Russia, and other foreign countries. Researchers from Purdue University, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and Florida International University conducted the examination, which identified over 12% of the apps as having foreign-sourced code.

Among the applications reviewed was a popular app used by service members to rate living conditions on military bases. This app reportedly included code from Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company previously identified as a national security risk by U.S. regulators. Additionally, two other applications were developed by Russian companies and integrated the Yandex advertising service, a Russian technology firm.

The findings raise significant concerns that data harvested from these applications could be used by adversarial governments to track the locations, movements, and routines of U.S. service members. This is particularly worrying given that the apps are used by individuals living and working on bases, and potentially within sensitive intelligence facilities.

The researchers highlighted that the largely unregulated digital advertising industry often treats civilian and military data similarly. This lack of distinction could inadvertently expose sensitive information about troop deployments, unit movements, and personnel activities in areas where critical infrastructure or classified operations are located.